Nico di Angelo

This asshole thinks there's a way of getting of him telling the others about everything I wasn't ready for them to know.

"All I said was that maybe you had something to do with it." He didn't even have the guts to own up to what he did, which was pretty pathetic.

"Bullshit." I called him out on it, knowing I'm never telling him anything important ever again. "Frank texted me asking if I was gay and had a thing for Percy."

"So? Maybe he—"

"You're the only one that knows, Jason!" I was frustrated, because I haven't even told him about what's going on right now with Percy and I. And thank the gods I didn't. Because he probably would've told everyone about it. "I've done absolutely nothing to indicate anything like that. At least, I don't think I have. But I would think somebody would've approached me years ago, had that been the situation."

"You don't know that somebody else—"

I just... This was frustrating. Battling with knowing and accepting it but not wanting everyone to find our quite yet. I just wanted to make sure everyone was cool with gay people before I came out as one. You know? It's not a hard concept. Just keep your mouth shut.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I do." I snapped at him, holding back tears of anger. "You had one job, Jason. To keep your mouth shut. But you just couldn't do that, right? Now that they broke up you're going to keep bugging me about it and before you even start I'm going to tell you the shut the fuck up, if you're capable of that. If not, I'll leave camp and find somewhere else to stay. I've done it before, and I really don't care if I have to again. So fuck you. Say another word about it today, and you'll wish you didn't."

Leaving him where he stood, I walked over to our friends and joined them at the table, grabbing some breakfast. They got the idea that there was a problem.

"What happened?" Leo asked, probably the most confused and out of the loop.

I shook my head.

"He's just a dumbass." I explained to them without giving away anything.

Leo Valdez

I wasn't sure about the entire situation. But later on, a little after breakfast, Jason cleared it up. On accident. I asked him why Nico was pissed.

"What I remarked, that he probably has something to do with the break up." My best friend told me, acting like Nico was overreacting about the entire thing. We were in Bunker 9, thank the gods. Otherwise had Nico been in ear shot, Jason would've been shot. "Frank asked Nico, who told him nothing, and so Nico ratted me out. It's not I outed him or anything, and he's acting like I did. Which is a load of bullshit."

"You outed him?" I questioned, thinking back to what he had said. That Nico had something to do with Percy and Annabeth's break up. I mean, I didn't notice anything new between anyone. Percy and Nico we're as normal as ever. Not hating each other, but not being friends. "One, why would you ever out anyone? That's an asshole thing to do unless you have their consent. And two, out him as what? What would pissed him off that badly that he doesn't—"

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone." My best friend stopped me where I was and the two of is just sat down. "I mean, I found out by accident. I told him everyone would be fine with it. But no. I don't say anything."

And he started to sound like an asshole.

Because on that spectrum, I get where Nico is coming from. I'm gay and all. I just don't know how people would take it. We have a few bisexuals so I know that's fine. So I pretend I'm bi. It works out. I keep my mouth shut.

If you don't want to be out, there's a reason. If somebody finds out, you trust them to shut up and respect that you aren't comfortable with telling other people yet.

But I suppose he'd never be taught that. He was raised in a camp for demigods. Not the real world. Not the mortal world.

So I just listened without response to the rest of what he said, not even actually comprehending what he was saying. And thank gods, too.

After Jason had left, my phone vibrated a few times. Text messages.

From Nico.

N: Hey, Leo. You're more trustworthy than Jason, right?
N: I know a lot of people wouldn't think so, but you're trustworthy, right? Like with secrets and stuff.

Oh shit. I'm being dragged into the fire.

Me: I mean, I guess so. I'll keep my mouth shut until you open yours about it. Like, to other people. Is it about what happened today?

N: ... Kind of? I mean, what happened at breakfast was Jason being dumb and opening his mouth when he shouldn't have. But you swear you'll keep your mouth shut?

Me: Dude, yes. I promise on the River Styx that I'll keep my mouth shut until given consent to open it.
Me: What's going on?
Me: Are you okay?
Me: Like do you need help or anything like that?
Me: Because I'm here dude.

N: Oh, yeah, don't worry about that. I'll need help eventually, but that's not as bad as it sounds. It's just an inexperience thing, not a depression thing. I don't have depression or anything like that. Just normal demigod ADHD. A little dyslexia.
N: So don't worry in that regard. I will need help from you soon enough, but again, related to just having never done it before and I know you have. I've watched you do it a million times over.

Me: Okay good. As much as we aren't too close I still gotta make sure you're okay. But what's up, dude?

It took him a minute to respond, and it didn't take me long to realize why.

The message was huge.

N: Okay, this is going to be long. And sorry to spill this all on you, I just feel like you would know what to do in this sort of situation better the the others. I mean, Percy might know. But that's an entirely different situation.

N: Anyways, last summer, when we stopped in Split, and Jason and I went on that little mission or whatever, something happened that I really wish Jason wouldn't have been there for. I would've taken anyone else, because all he did was pity me and make me uncomfortable after what happened.

I had a feeling I might know where this was heading. I didn't assume anything. But I had an idea in my head going on.

N: We had a run in with Cupid. Eros as Greeks call him. And he's an asshole. Aphrodite the nice, cute love. And he's just tough love. But we had a run in with him, and of course he knows everything. You probably have an idea of where this is going, but just please let me keep going.

N: He uh... I mean, he didn't torture me or hold me captive. But like I was in pain and not allowed to really move or anything. If that makes sense. It was his powers. Holding me down. Plus it doesn't help that we don't see him and all.

N: But he kept talking to me and taunting me as Jason is standing there because he literally can't do anything. Eros stopped his movement. He can listen and watch. And he was just taunting me about me leaving camp all the time. Why do I leave camp. What's the real reason I did this, that, and the other thing.

N: It was annoying. But I kept my mouth. I didn't want to admit it at that point. I knew it. But I had never said it out loud before. But Eros wasn't having that. He wouldn't let me go until I confessed. So I confessed.

N: I'm gay.

N: Of course, Jason heard, he knew. He was shocked, too. I was forced to flat out admit that I was gay and didn't have a crush on Annabeth, but rather on Percy. Which, for me, wasn't new. By then I was normalized to the idea that it won't happen. He was either straight or bi leaning more towards girls. It wasn't going to happen. One day I'd look back and just get a kick out of the fact that I had a crush on him.

N: So Eros let's up go, and Jason is going on and on about it. Like dude, I don't want to hear it. You feel bad, I don't care. You're just going to make my self pity skyrocket and make me feel worse about the situation.

N: And then Jason, as smart as he is, suggested I tell everyone.

N: I immediately shot down the idea, as you probably figured out. Hazel was from WWII, Piper's dad is pretty homophobic, and considering you didn't have a boyfriend at the time, I had no way of knowing what everyone actually thought of the whole being gay thing. Because being bi with a girl and bi with a guy gets two totally different responses. You know that.

N: but he wanted to tell everyone. And I told him no. That was like my first time saying it. I was barely comfortable with myself, much less telling the others.

N: so whatever. He said he wouldn't tell and he did really good with it. He annoyed me a lot. But he kept his mouth shut. Until this morning. When he decided to assume that I was the reason Percy and Annabeth broke up. Because I like the guy.

N: And you know, I might've influenced it a little. I will say that. But I mean, Percy told me when I got to his cabin after breakfast that he was breaking up with her. That was already decided. So now Frank might know something, he's suspicious for some reason. I don't know where he got it from, but most of it was Jason. And Grover might, too.

N: But I mean I told you all of this for a reason, dude.

N: How do you come out?